New Mexico (3-0) vs. #19 Arizona (4-4)
Feb. 3-5, 2000
Sancet Field
THE SERIES: No. 19 Arizona (4-4) completes a stretch of eight games in nine
days with three contests against New Mexico, Feb. 3-5. The Cats have lost
three straight coming into the series. New Mexico is 3-0 after sweeping
Grand Canyon last weekend. Sunday, Feb. 6, Arizona will play host to its
annual All-Pro Alumni Game, featuring guest manager Curt Schilling of the
Phillies.
WILDCAT NOTES: Arizona pinch-hitters have already collected as many base
hits as the Cats did all of last season. UA pinch-hitters are 9-for-21
(.429) this year after going 9-for 47 (.191) in 1999 ... Junior
right-hander Kevin Huff worked 2.0 innings of relief vs. BYU (1/31) in his
first appearance since Feb. 25, 1997, having come back from a shoulder
injury ... Wildcat pitchers set a school record by hitting six batters in
single game vs. San Francisco (1/30) ... Junior Ryan O'Donnell collected a
pair of two-run pinch-hit singles in the sixth inning of the Cats' 21-7
victory over San Francisco (1/29). In one inning, O'Donnell matched
Arizona's entire pinch-hit RBI total from a year ago with four. It was the
first time an Arizona player had collected two pinch-hits in one inning
since, oh, come on, you expect me to know everything? ... The Wildcats
scored 12 runs in the sixth inning of their Jan. 29 contest with USF, the
most for an Arizona team in one inning since posting 16 in the seventh
inning of a 40-10 victory over St. Francis in Tucson (2/22/95). Their 21
runs in the game were the most by a Wildcat club since a 21-8 victory vs.
New Mexico (1/31/98) ... Senior Rob Shabansky's pinch-hit single vs. San
Francisco (1/28) was his first safety since May 3, 1998 ... The Jan. 23
UA-Saint Mary's game was the Cats' 1,200th at Sancet Field ... Arizona is
136-5 (.965) dating back to 1993 in games it led after eight innings and
230-9 (.962) going back to 1990.
DURAZO'S DEFENSE: Junior Ernie Durazo went 35 consecutive games without an
error before a committing a throwing error vs. San Francisco (1/29). That
was the longest error-free streak for a Wildcat first baseman since Arizona
joined the Pac-10 in 1979. Marc Wing went 34 straight contests in 1983 and
'84 without an error. Durazo accepted 291 consecutive chances without
committing an error. Here are the longest error-free game streaks by UA
first basemen in the last 22 years:
Player Year (s) Games
1. Ernie Durazo 1999-00 35
2. Marc Wing 1983-84 34
3. Todd Landry 1993 31
4. Billy Owens 1990 24
5. Jeff Gjerde 1995 23
DUNCAN TIES MARK: Sophomore right fielder Shelley Duncan homered in his
first two at-bats of the Cats' season opener vs. Saint Mary's (1/21),
becoming just the third player in Wildcat history to post four multi-homer
games in his career.
Dennis Haines had a pair of multiple home run games in both 1972 and '74.
In 1993, George Arias had four two-homer games.
In two season-openers against the Gaels, Duncan has collected four home
runs and 10 RBI.
STITT'S 100TH: Arizona's 5-2 victory over Saint Mary's (1/23) marked the
100th of head coach Jerry Stitt's career. In just his fourth season, Stitt
joins J.F. "Pop" McKale, Frank Sancet and Jerry Kindall as the only Arizona
coaches to reach the century mark in victories.
PRESEASON HONORS: Three Wildcats have earned a total of five preseason
All-America honors.
Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins was named a first-team All-American by
Baseball America. Sophomore right fielder Shelley Duncan earned second-team
honors from BA and third-team recognition from Collegiate Baseball. Both
Collegiate Baseball and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers
Association named junior shortstop Keoni DeRenne a second-team preseason
All-American.
BEST TOOLS: Baseball America has announced its list of "Best Tools" in the
Pac-10, and three Wildcats were recognized. Junior Keoni DeRenne was named
the league's top defensive shortstop as well as its best base runner.
Senior center fielder Troy Gingrich was named the Pac-10's fastest runner.
And sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins has the best fastball in the
conference, according to BA. The magazine also names a preseason All-Pac-10
team to which Duncan was listed as an outfielder and Diggins as the utility
player.
TEAM USA '99: Junior Keoni DeRenne and sophomores Ben Diggins and Shelley
Duncan were all part of the 1999 USA Baseball national squad that posted a
24-15 overall mark.
DeRenne was the team's starting shortstop and hit .376 with a remarkable
.506 on-base percentage. He drew 32 walks while striking out just 12 times.
Diggins served as the team's closer, posting a 2.05 earned-run average in a
team-high 16 appearances. He allowed just 10 base hits in 22.0 innings
under Arizona pitching coach Bill Kinneberg, who filled the same capacity
for Team USA. Duncan saw limited action before joining the Jayhawk League.
KNST-RADIO: KNST, AM-790, will carry 30 regular season games this season,
including each Pac-10 contest, plus all postseason action. The station has
served as UA's flagship station for 19 years. Sports director Brian
Jeffries and Ryan Radtke will handle the play-by-play duties.
DRAFTED CATS: Fourteen current Arizona players have been chosen a total of
17 times in the Major League Baseball Draft. Mike Meyer, Trevor Mote and
Rob Shabansky have been selected twice. Here's a complete list of players
drafted:
Player Year Club Round
Rob Shabansky 1995 Royals 68th
Tony Milo 1996 Mets 7th
Sam Shelton 1996 Dodgers 68th
Mike Meyer 1996 Dodgers 69th
Kevin Huff 1996 Dodgers 71st
Peter Fredericks 1997 Astros 10th
Ryan O'Donnell 1997 Padres 32nd
Trevor Mote 1997 Twins 32nd
Ben Diggins 1998 Cardinals 1st*
Trevor Mote 1998 Royals 30th
Rob Shabansky 1998 Red Sox 39th
Ernie Durazo 1998 Mariners 46th
Kenny Huff 1998 Blue Jays 47th
Mike Meyer 1999 Giants 14th
Matt Abram 1999 Diamondbacks 10th
Ken Riley 1999 Marlins 31st
Klent Corley 1999 Angels 48th
*---Sandwich Pick
DIGGINS ELIGIBLE FOR DRAFT: Sophomore right-hander Ben Diggins is eligible
for the major league baseball draft following this season due to an
exception in MLB's rules. Ordinarily, players at four-year colleges are not
eligible for the draft until following their junior year. However, an
exception to the rule allows players who turn 21 within 45 days of the
draft to be eligible. Diggins turns 21 on June 13, less than two weeks
after the draft.
RED-SHIRTS/INJURIES: Senior right-hander Dave Abbott will red-shirt the
season following Tommy John surgery last April 20. He plans to return for
the 2001 campaign.
Junior right-hander Sam Shelton will miss the season as well.
Junior right-hander Ben Vigeland will red-shirt the year.
Senior left-hander Rob Shabansky is recovering from Tommy John surgery last
Feb. 18 and is expected to return to the mound by mid-February. He is
already back at the plate, appearing as a pinch-hitter vs. Saint Mary's
(1/23), his first at-bat since May 3, 1998.
SANCET FIELD: Frank Sancet Field is in its 34th season as the home park of
Arizona baseball. The Cats have an 844-358-3 (.702) all-time mark at Sancet
Field. UA has had just three losing records at Sancet. Arizona was 20-11 at
home last year. Sunday's game with Saint Mary's was the Cats' 1,200 at Sancet.
The spacious park is 360 feet down the foul lines, 380 to the power alleys
and 400 to center field. A 12-foot fence comes in to left and right center
before giving way to a six-foot fence across the center field area. New
chair-back seats were installed last season behind home plate.
HEAD COACH JERRY STITT: Jerry Stitt leads the Cats in his fourth season as
head coach.
After three straight last-place finishes in the Pac-10 South, Stitt has led
the Cats to back-to-back-to-back winning seasons and a return to postseason
play thanks to improved pitching and defense and, under his direct
tutelage, the continued success of Wildcat hitters.
Arizona qualified for an NCAA regional last year for the first time since
1993. The year before, the Cats ranked among the nation's leaders in
doubles, triples, homers, runs scored and slugging percentage while
reaching as high as No. 2 in one national poll.
Stitt has posted an 100-73 (.578) mark in his three seasons at the helm of
the Cats, earning his 100th career victory vs. Saint Mary's on Jan. 23.
He follows J.F. Pop McKale, Frank Sancet and Jerry Kindall as the only
head coaches since 1922 and is only the 14th coach in the 93-year history
of Arizona baseball.
Stitt was an All-American at UA in 1968 as a senior and was drafted in the
32nd round by the Cleveland Indians. He played three years in the Tribe
organization before moving to coaching.He joined the Cats' coaching staff
in 1978 and had been its associate head coach since 1992.
ZASA SHINES: Sophomore public address announcer Jimmy Zasa returns for his
third season as "The Voice of the Wildcats." A favorite of fans and players
alike, Zasa is best known for his familiar call "Home Run Sheeelleeey
Dunnncannn." Zasa's enthusiasm and exuberance always brings out the
excitement in Wildcat fans everywhere. Bear Down!
ALUMNI GAME: The 2000 Bank One All-Pro Alumni Game is scheduled for Feb. 6
at Sancet Field. More than a dozen major league players and coaches will be
among the professional roster of alumni that will face the current Arizona
squad in a seven-inning exhibition. The 1 p.m. game will be preceded by a
home run contest and an autograph session.
Bank One continued its support of Arizona athletics by becoming the title
sponsor of the All-Pro Alumni Game in 1996. Proceeds from the game go to
the Arizona baseball program and is the program's most important
fundraising event of the year. The Alumni lead the all-time series, 10-3-2.
Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Curt Schilling will serve as the guest
manager for the Alumni team this season.
Reserved tickets are available for $7, while all other seats are $5.
EARLY SIGNEES: Collegiate Baseball preseason All-Americans Moises Duran and
Jake Whitesides lead a deep and talented group of 13 high school and junior
college players who have inked letters of intent during the early signing
period to attend Arizona and play baseball beginning in the fall of 2000.
Eleven high school seniors and two junior college sophomores comprise the
group, which includes nine pitchers.
This is as strong a recruiting class as we have had, Jerry Stitt, who is
entering his fourth year as Arizona's head coach, said. It rivals the
first class we signed in 1997, which was ranked fourth in the nation.
Our first need in the near future is pitching, and we met that need with a
great group of young arms. Brian Anderson is the top pitching prospect in
Tucson. Plus, the addition of Moises Duran, Stephen Hunt, Ryan Richardson
and Jake Whitesides solidify positions that were in need of filling.
Duran is beyond question the best player in Tucson. He has tremendous bat
speed. Whitesides is one of the best prospects to sign with this program in
a long time. He's a tremendous high school player, and he'll make a
tremendous college player. This is a great class.
Richardson is the younger brother of former Wildcat pitcher Jim Richardson
(1988-89). Right-hander Sean Rierson was a member of the Chapparal HS that
finished the year ranked 20th in Collegiate Baseball's national poll last
season and was listed among that publication's list of high school
underclassmen to watch.
ARIZONA VS. UNM: The Cats lead the series, 116-28, since 1950. Arizona has
won eight consecutive contests against the Lobos and are 8-1 vs. UNM under
head coach Jerry Stitt.
LAST YEAR vs. NEW MEXICO
Date W/L Score WP LP Save
2/4 W 15-5 Crawford Messer Pemble
2/5 W 5-4 Milo Misquez Meyer
2/6 W 9-3 Abbott Abbell None
PITCHING PROBABLES vs. SAN FRANCISCO
Sunday (3 p.m.)
LHP Chris Cooper (1-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Ben Diggins (1-0, 2.79)
Friday (3 p.m.)
LHP Mike Semprevivo (1-0, 4.05) vs. RHP Mike Crawford (1-1, 4.97)
Saturday (1 p.m.)
LHP Mike Albers (1-0, 0.00) vs. LHP Brian Pemble (1-0, 4.00)
Probable Wildcat Lineup
No. Pos. Player Cl. Ht. Wt. Hometown
1. 2 CF Troy Gingrich (L) Sr. 5-10 180 Apache Jct., Ariz.
2. 25 2B Trevor Mote (B) Jr. 6-1 185 Prescott, Ariz.
3. 11 SS Keoni DeRenne (B) Jr. 5-7 146 Honolulu, Hawaii
4. 18 RF Shelley Duncan So. 6-5 210 Tucson, Ariz.
5. 22 LF Kenny Huff (L) So. 6-0 197 Phoenix, Ariz.
6. 17 3B Erik Torres Jr. 5-10 168 Tucson, Ariz.
7. 44 1B Ernie Durazo (L) Jr. 5-9 195 Tucson, Ariz.
8. 33 DH Ryan O'Donnell (L) Jr. 6-0 180 Casa Grande, Ariz.
9. 26 C Chris Cunningham (L) So. 6-1 190 Diamond Bar, Calif.
